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Ex-President Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not actively considering supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist aboard his plane, he replied, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had suggested the Pentagon told the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Without Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has still managed to wage a successful operation using its own drones and missiles against Russian armed and strategic objectives, including oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the port facility on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refineries are increasing procurement of alternative crude in response to the latest international restrictions on Russia, according to market sources. The country is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but refiners are following New Delhi's lead in reducing imports.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately purchased four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative producers for December arrival, as per insiders. These purchases amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for virtually the entirety of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling about 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major domestic plants to continue petroleum shipments to the EU without violating the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Moscow's assault comprising thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's senior commander. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Russia's sights for more than a year as Russia aims to control the whole east Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv reported recently, while analysts assessed that others were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defence Network

The president, who has been urging his partners for more air defense systems to hold off Moscow's strikes, stated on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We have strengthened the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Not offering additional information, the Ukrainian leader singled out Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 individuals, among them two children, and cut electricity to thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged 11 and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted power to the entire east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit confirmed some of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.